How to Make a Paper Palm Tree

Paper palm trees are perfect for decorating a tropical themed party or classroom event. They’re fun to make, and a good project for kids to help with, too. You could even make them with a Sunday school class for Palm Sunday. And it's amazing how realistic these palm trees look. You may be tempted to spread out a beach towel and lay under them.

Things You'll Need

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Step 1

You’ll need cardboard tubes to make a paper palm tree. The extra long kind that come with wrapping paper work the best, but you can also tape together shorter tubes, such as paper towel tubes or even toilet paper tubes. Please see the last slide for an itemized list of tools and materials.

Step 2

Step 3

Tear pieces of brown paper wide enough to wrap around the tubes with the edges overlapping slightly. (You may want to cut apart paper grocery bags to help make your paper palm tree a “green” project by reusing materials.) Then squeeze the pieces of brown paper to wrinkle them. The wrinkled brown paper will give it a more real look.

Step 4

Wrap pieces of brown paper around the tubes, holding them in place with rubber bands, and overlapping them slightly so that the cardboard tubes are completely covered. The rubber bands also do double duty as the rings on the tree trunk. Peel back the brown paper at random points to get the look of peeling bark.

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Step 8

Place the two stapled leaf sections in the top of the trunk, and secure them by squeezing a balled up piece of brown paper between them so they don’t fall out. Unfold and spread the leaves so they fall in different directions around the trunk.